U.S. Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey has asked Germany to send in military personnel to replace U.S. troops to assist the Kurdish led Syrian-Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against terrorists.
“We want ground troops from Germany to partially replace our soldiers,” Jeffrey told German press in Berlin on Friday. Jeffrey was in Berlin seeking a pledge of military and financial support from the German government.
“It is better to force IS back with local Syrian forces,” he said. “But a certain international presence is needed to secure air support, for logistics, training, and technical help.”
“We hope that the Germans will be able to do more,” Jeffrey said. “I am optimistic. Some allies will deploy ground troops, I’m sure of it.”
On Sunday, some German politicians rejected the U.S. call for German troops in Syria. A clear rejection came out of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Merkel’s junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD).
“There will be no German ground troops in Syria with us,” tweeted a member of the interim SPD leadership, Thorsten Schaefer-Guembel. “I don’t see people wanting that among our coalition partners”
Although deputy conservative parliamentary leader Johann Wadephul did say Germany “not reflexively reject” the U.S. call for troops. “Our security, not the Americans’, is being decided in this region,” the parliamentary leader added.
Last December President Trump said he wanted to withdraw the 2,000 U.S. troops that are currently stationed in Syria supporting the SDF. Trump’s announcement sparked much criticism from people in his own cabinet, members of the press, and both Republican and Democratic politicians.
The most common criticism was that the U.S. would be abandoning the Kurds to the mercy of the Syrian government, although the Kurds appealed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and expressed desire for negotiations if the U.S. were to leave. It seems Trump has caved to pressure since the administration recently announced they will be leaving at least 400 troops in Syria.
If the Kurds had any IQ above a chimp, they would do their reconciliation with Assad before bloodshed comes to their doorsteps based on false promises.
The Kurds probably would be acceptable to Assad because they fought the same enemies Assad fought .
Not only should the German troops not go, but US troops, bases and NUKES should be withdrawn from Germany. WW2 is over.
IS is the cat of all ideologies of the ME. It seems to have five lives.
It exists wherever the MIC needs them to exist.
The Germans should tell the US to go to hell.
Dr. Mabuse.
Germany, as a loyal US ally – as well as a protectorate and member of NATO – has an obligation and a duty to unconditionally provide military support in any form and shape as requested. The army of the German Federal Republic is well trained and well equipped to replace american combat forces without hesitation and without questions asked. Why, the Poles, the Rumanians, the Balts, and even the cowardly Frogs (the French), to name a few, are more than willing to get over there and fight. Unfortunately, Trump is scared of armed conflicts (he had a chance to punish Iran after the drone incident) as evidenced by his refusal to confront the Ruskies on many occasions.
It will be wise to give Putin an ultimatum of 30 days either to get out of the Crimea or having to face dire consequences, (FIRE AND FURY). Unfortunately this US President is in essence a damn pacifist.
Germany might not like to be a member of the North American terrorist organization any more .
This Ultimatum idea might have worked 20 years ago . Before Putin was even president the 1st time But ever since NATO issued orders to shoot Russian soldiers because they will try to protect Christian civilians in Yugoslavia . The English troops refused to follow those orders . None the less those orders were discovered in Russia and Solzhenitsyn sacked Yeltsin and backed Putin . Solzhenitsyn instructed Putin and considered him strong enough to stand up to NATO . Putin cut his military budget this year to a little over 40 billion dollars because he feels he has such powerful defense he can stand up to NATO with the defense he has , Even if his strongest fighting partners the Chinese are slower than Putin expects them to be in coming to Russia’s aid . Russia and China have been partnering for about the last 20years on all their military and weapons programs. Ever since they saw what NATO did to Yugoslavia . China told us they have not forgiven or forgotten what happened to them in Yugoslavia . I believe the days are over when the worlds one and only super power can issue ultimatums to every body in the world .
By the way, Solzhenitsyn advocated that Russia relinquish its wold ambitions and retreat behind the Urals, for the purpose of founding more monasteries in order to rediscover its authentic folk-soul after its near extirpation by nearly 80 years of brutal communist/bolshevist tyranny. AND, more important, to spread the Christian truth and faith to the north eastern asiatic tribes (just as the Teutonic Knights during and after the holy crusades brought the christian light to the heathen tribes of the Baltic, now thoroughly western – in the traditional sense of the term). In the long run, the land of Rus (in the next 500 years or so) may succeed to convert all of China to Christianity, as precisely this was attempted by the Jesuits in the 16th century by the Padres Matteo Ricci and Schaller, among others. It did not succeed then due to the fact that the chinese emperor (sympathetic to the Christian teachings) insisted that the cunfucian chinese holidays be incorporated in the Christian ones, something that the Vatican rejected. In such a future scenario Russia would maintain its military might only to protect its monasteries and monks, as well as its realm (just as our own knightly orders comprised of monks, during the12th to 15th centuries defended their monasteries on heathen soil). This historic direction is also imbedded in the Russian Unconscious, as is the russian interest in the holy land. (For more of the latter read Oswald Spengler‘s essay „The Two Faces of Russia…“)
replacing American troops that don’t know what side they are fighting on . I believe the free Syrian Army was mostly foreign forces trying to overthrow Assad’s government in Syria . But they have been defeated because Trump cut their aid .